Plant alpines in gaps in borders
Choose spring-flowering alpines to fill gaps with instant colour. Pulsatillas, aubretias, cerastium and saxifrages are all easy and very free flowering.
They have adapted to grow low on the ground in quite poor soil, so simply fork in some grit before planting to improve the drainage without adding unnecessary nutrients. Many of these ground-covering alpines will also cascade down walls or over bed edgings, adding an extra dimension to the display. Water them in after planting and mulch around them with more grit to prevent the stems rotting on the soil surface during wet spells.